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2024 election updates: Mark Cuban clashes with Trump's team

Entrepreneur said earlier Trump is intimidated by "strong, intelligent women."

With five days until Election Day, Kamala Harris is attacking Donald Trump for saying Wednesday night in Wisconsin that, against his advisers' advice, he is going to keep saying he will "protect the women" "whether the women like it or not."

Both candidates continue their whirlwind campaigns in the West.


More than 62 million Americans have voted early

As of 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, more than 62 million Americans have voted early, according to the Election Lab at the University of Florida.

Of the early ballots cast, 33,036,441 were in person and 29,720,798 were returned by mail.


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Mark Cuban responds to Trump team's attack over 'strong, intelligent women'

Harris surrogate Mark Cuban responded on X Thursday to criticism he received from Trump’s campaign over his remarks he made earlier in the day on "The View."

Cuban expanded on his statement in which he said "Donald Trump, you never see him around strong, intelligent women. Ever. It’s just that simple. They’re intimidating to him. He doesn’t like to be challenged by them."

Several Trump allies bashed the Dallas Mavericks owner for his comments.

In his X post, Cuban said, "I’m happy to clarify that

1. I know many strong, intelligent women voting for Trump. Including in my extended family. I’m certainly not saying female voters are not smart , strong and intelligent.

2. I know he has worked with strong intelligent women, like Elaine Chao, Kelly Anne [Conway], Ivanka [Trump] and many others

I stand by my opinion that he does not like being challenged publicly."


Mike Bloomberg endorses Harris 'without hesitation'

Former New York City mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg revealed Thursday that he voted for Harris.

Bloomberg, who ran a failed presidential campaign during the 2020 Democratic primary, said in an X post that he voted for Harris "without hesitation."

"When it comes to policy and personal integrity, the contrast could not be clearer, and I hope undecided voters with a history of supporting candidates in both parties join me," Bloomberg, an independent voter and former Republican, said.


Mark Cuban says Trump isn't surrounded by 'strong' women. His allies push back

On ABC's "The View," Mark Cuban -- a Harris surrogate -- was asked what he made of Nikki Haley not campaigning with Trump.

"Donald Trump, you never see him around strong, intelligent women. Ever. It's just that simple. They're intimidating to him," the "Shark Tank" investor said.

"He doesn't like to be challenged by them and, you know, Nikki Haley will call him on his nonsense with reproductive rights and how he sees and treats and talks about women. I mean, he just can't have her around. It wouldn't work," Cuban added.

Now, a host of Trump's allies from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to Lara Trump to Sage Steele are all attacking Cuban and trying to tie his words to the Harris campaign.

Trump's national press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Cuban's words "extremely insulting to the thousands of women who work for President Trump, and the tens of millions of women who are voting for him."

It comes as Trump's campaign, for much of this election, has had missteps when it comes to courting women -- facing a myriad of questions about reproductive rights and attempting to convince Trump to lay off the personal attacks as he attacked Haley's intelligence during the primaries, and now continues to degrade Harris.

-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa


Nebraska county drafts poll workers into service

Finding poll workers can be tough for election officials, particularly in the heightened threat environment targeting election workers. But one Nebraska county has found a novel way of ensuring polling places are properly staffed on Election Day: a draft.

Douglas County Election Commissioner Brian Kruse told ABC News about 45% of the county's 3,000 election workers were drafted into service.

Douglas County is the most populous county in the state and one of two counties that uses an election draft. All voters registered in the county are eligible and may receive a letter in the mail letting them know they are required to participate -- a system akin to jury duty. The system has been in place for about 25 years, but Kruse says some people aren't familiar with it and are surprised when they get the notice. "Their first reaction is, 'Is this real?.' We field lots of those questions after we send letters out, but most people are good sports about it."

Some of the benefits of using a draft, according to Kruse, are lowering the average age of poll workers, creating balance among parties, and helping people gain a better understanding of how the election process works.

"A lot of people who would have never volunteered or been part of the process now come in and find out what all it takes to do it and how safe and secure it is and so they become great ambassadors for our office and many of them continue to be volunteers after their four turns are up," Kruse said.

Volunteers who are drafted are required to complete an online training course and serve during four elections. The election office will work with anyone to postpone their duty who has a trip planned, a medical issue or a spouse or family member who is a candidate, but the only way to be completely exempt from the draft is to be over 70 years old.

Douglas County also has new security measures in place for ballot drop boxes. Over the summer they county added a dry fire suppression system to all 13 of them. Kruse said there were no specific threats or concerns that led to the addition.

"The election commissioner in Hall County said she was looking into it, and she had done it and once she got a little more information then we decided it was reasonable," Kruse said.

There are also cameras monitoring the drop boxes that have been in place for at least two years.

-ABC News' Tonya Simpson